Stroganoff

While looking on the internet for a nice fish recipe, I found a fish stroganoff recipe. It looked delicious, simple to make and did not have lots of ingredients. So I decided to make it. Bought all of the ingredients last week already but only made it tonight. While we were having supper, my boyfriend asked me what stroganoff is exactly. I couldn't give him an answer...

But, after doing some research, here it is:
Stroganoff is from origin a Russian dish made from sauteed pieces of beef served in a sour cream sauce. It has become popular over the world and has many variations. Over the years the recipe has evolved and nowadays it mainly consists of strips of beef filet, mushroom, onion and a sour cream sauce. It is most often served with rice or pasta.
Stroganoff is a popular dish in Russia, China, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Sweden and Finland with each country serving it's own variation of the dish.
It is not sure where the name comes from but it's possible that is was derived from some member of the Stroganov family.

The recipe that I made is a variation with fish and the sauce was made with pouring cream, tomato paste, onion and paprika. It was so simple to make and quite yummy. If you've never had Stroganoff before, I suggest you try it!

The Kiwi

Once, when I was 7 or 8 (or maybe 9), my mom's aunt gave me this green fruit with little black pips in it to eat. It tasted disgusting and I dreaded every bite of it. It was...

...the kiwi!

Since then, I avoided eating kiwi. Until years later (unfortunately I cannot remember the occasion anymore) I tried it again. And guess what? I absolutely loved it!! Now, whenever I see it, my mouth starts to drool and I long for that kind of "sour yet sweet melt-in-your-mouth" taste. And luckily for me, there are lots of benefits to eating kiwis: they are a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin K and a good source of fibre and vitamin E.

But where does the kiwi fruit actually come from? Yes, you wouldn't be blamed if you immediately think "New Zealand" but...this is actually not the case. Kiwi originally came from China. They are also native to India, Japan and Siberia. But then how did it come to be known as the "kiwi"? Well, some seeds were brought over from China to NZ by a principal of a girls' college. They were first known by their Chinese name, yang tao, which was later dropped. It was then marketed under the name "Melonette" but later it was renamed the "Kiwi" (after the national symbol of NZ, the Kiwi bird).

Onions

Probably all of us use the onion when cooking. Most of us probably hate the process of peeling and chopping the onion. I am definitely one of those people...

My boyfriend doesn't like onions and every night he asks why we are eating it. I never use onion as the main ingredient as in onion soup, chutney or fried onion rings. I merely use it as taste enhancer. But there are also health benefits to cooking with onions: they are high in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folic acid and they are a great source of fibre. They also have potential anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol and antioxidant properties. 

But be sure to never give it to your doggy, kitty or guinea pig because it can be deadly!